The rapidly developed electronic industry enables electronic elements to have constantly increased operating speed. The electronic elements operating at high speed also produce a large quantity of heat, which causes rising temperature and accordingly unstable performance of the electronic elements and the system using same. Normally, to ensure normal and stable operation of a heat-producing electronic element, a heat-dissipation device is mounted on the electronic element to remove the produced heat from the electronic element.
Currently, to solve the heat dissipation problem thereof, every heat-producing electronic element has a heat sink mounted thereon. The heat sink includes a base, which is in tight contact with the electronic element, and a plurality of radiation fins mounted on the base. The heat sink can be attached onto the electronic element in many different ways. For the heat sink to tightly attach to the surface of the heat-producing electronic element, a fastening device is usually used to help in the firm contact of the heat sink with the electronic element. Generally, the fastening device for this purpose includes a mount, which is connected to a circuit board, and a retaining member, which is associated with the heat sink and can be fastened to the mount to thereby force the heat sink against the surface of the heat-producing electronic element, which is mounted on the circuit board.
A prior heat sink fastening device includes a first retaining member, a second retaining member and a handle. The first retaining member includes an elastic arm that can be downward pushed. The elastic arm has an end bent into a first retaining portion and another end providing a bearing surface. The second retaining member is located on one end of the first retaining member that provides the bearing surface. The handle is connected to the second retaining member and is provided at an end with an eccentric wheel for pressing against the bearing surface. The eccentric wheel has a protruded point formed near a free end thereof. When the eccentric wheel rotates, the protruded point is shifted from one side to another opposite side of the second retaining member to catch against an edge of the second retaining member. Further, a length of the edge of the eccentric wheel that is in contact with the bearing surface when the eccentric wheel rotates is formed with a flange.
However, with the coming of the digital information age, miniaturized electronic products have become the main stream in the electronic industry development. The conventional heat sink fastening device with the above structure apparently could not be easily operated within a limited or narrow space in the miniaturized electronic product to fasten the heat sink to the heat-producing electronic element.
Therefore, it is tried by the inventor to overcome the above problem by developing an improved heat sink fastening device that can be easily operated in a limited space to tightly attach a heat sink to a heat-producing electronic element.